We present you an original proposal for these holidays: crew your own boat while navigating the waters of the Grande Lago de Alqueva, in Portugal, the largest artificial lake in Europe, and enjoy a weekend or a different vacation aboard a boat-house for rent.
The Alqueva Dam, 96 meters high and 458 meters high, has allowed the creation of a mirror of water with nearly 250 km2 and a total length of 83 km. Its margins extend for about 1,160 km, so the user will have more kilometers to navigate than if he traveled the entire Portuguese coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
This is the summer offer tempted by the Portuguese shipping company, whose facilities are located very close to the border between Spain and Portugal, in the heart of Portuguese Alentejo, in an area that offers multiple possibilities to enjoy a few days of leisure and relax.
In addition to easy boating, users can dock close to the shore to stop for a fish or take a bike ride and explore the surroundings. They can also take routes in the company of other sailors and enjoy a good lunch with them, bathe in places hidden from view, go kayaking, enjoy a pleasant dinner and a drink on deck and end the night with a wonderful restful sleep. in the ship’s cabins.
Captain of your own boat
Amieira Marina has created a motor boat rental service, with a capacity of between two and ten people, which can be manned by oneself after receiving a few short navigation lessons that last around half an hour. Precisely the ease of handling the ships and the possibility of choosing any route on the vast surface of the swamp are the main attractions of this new vacation formula, which until now was limited to experts with the corresponding qualifications.
The boats can be crewed from the cockpit or sunbathing on the outside poop by means of very simple controls, which consist of a steering wheel similar to that of a car to control the direction of the boat and a lever that serves to regulate the speed of both advance and back.
Around
Although the main attraction of the Amieira Marina proposal lies in the navigation through the Alqueva reservoir, you can also choose to dock the boat on any shore, take the bicycles and discover a land that in spring is covered with white flowers, showing a permanent succession of holm oaks and olive trees, herds of cows and sheep.
It is the deepest and most peaceful Alentejo, a region that extends between infinite plains and low mountains, with fertile lands full of cereals, vineyards and cork oaks, where cattle graze and wildlife returns to its origins. A region dotted with small villages, country roads and small virgin rivers where the little ones can enjoy watching crabs and fish. In short, a quiet area with friendly people, with its own identity and a culture that wants to open up little by little.
Portuguese cuisine
In any corner of the journey you can discover one of the great secrets of Lower Alentejo: its gastronomy. If on the coast you can find 365 ways to cook cod, on this land creativity is not far behind. The Alentejo is a territory where wheat and oil have been the basis of its development and immense cork oak fore sts shade herds of pigs that graze on the plain.
For this reason, bread, pork and oil form the basis of one of the tastiest cuisines in Portugal, in which the aroma of the countryside blends into each dish. Game and fish, cheeses and desserts also represent an outstanding section of Alentejo gastronomy.
How to get?
Amieira Marina is located very close to the border between Spain and Portugal (in fact part of the Grande Lago is common between the two countries). The town where the facilities are located is Amieira. The best combination is to get to Évora or Beja, about 100 kilometers from Badajoz on the A-6.
From Evora or Beja, follow the signs to Portel via IP2. When you arrive at Portel, exit the IP2 and continue towards Alqueva / Moura (do not enter Portel) via the N384. When you see the indication via R255, turn left towards Amieira. Once you have reached the Amieira roundabout, follow the signs “Local access” and Amieira Marina.
How much does it cost?
The prices vary according to the size of the boat and the number of places. Renting a ship, with a capacity of up to 8 people, costs from 249 euros / day. An affordable price for these moments of economic crisis.
